Robert Mills House and Gardens
One of five National Historic Landmarks in Columbia, the Robert Mills House and Gardens was built by Robert Mills in the mid-1820s. Born in Charleston, Mr. Mills is best known for designing the Washington Monument. The Robert Mills House was a private residence built for Ainsley Hall but Mr. Hall's untimely death before the house was finished forced his wife to sell the home. The home was turned into a seminary and was a religious campus for decades.
After over a hundred years, the home was slated for demolition, but the Historic Columbia Foundation saved the structure in the 1960s. The home was turned into a
museum in 1967 complete with English Gardens.
Located at 1616 Blanding Street, the Robert Mills House is open to the public on Tuesdays thru Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The house and gardens can be rented for special events. For more information on the Robert Mills House, please visit http://www.historiccolumbia.org/site/visit/houses/robert-mills-house-and-gardens/overview/index.
